


Something Good Can Work

by badbeginnings (watchyourmouth)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Basketball, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-02
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-04-07 08:16:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4256100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watchyourmouth/pseuds/badbeginnings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When LA Lakers shooting guard Harry Styles gets more than his knee broken, it's up to Louis, his physical therapist, to pick up the pieces. </p><p> </p><p>Or the Just Wright AU where Harry can play basketball, Nick may or may not be a douchebag and Louis might also need some repairing himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was 6 A.M. on a Saturday morning and Louis' mobile would not shut up. 

 

He mentally cursed Liam for convincing him that Metallica would be a good ring tone. Metallica.  Honestly, what was Louis even thinking, agreeing to that bullshit. He wasn't pretentious enough to even pretend to like Metallica. Also, it was only Liam who would dare disturb Louis at an ungodly hour like this.

 

He was fully prepared to bite his best friend's head off as he begrudgingly picked up his phone but was surprised when it was Nick Grimshaw's name that was displayed on his screen. 

 

Which. What the fuck?

 

"Grimshaw, you colossal dickhead"

 

"Tomlinson! Always a delight to hear from you as well." Nick responded, not even missing a beat. Strangely, he sounded as if he's whispering.

 

"What do you want from me? You do not deserve my attention at this hour," Louis grumbled, thinking of all the ways he was going to get back at Nick for this. "And why are you whispering?" 

 

"Louis, honey, you've met my gorgeous fiance right?" 

 

Louis rolled his eyes. Of course he's met Harry. Every who knew Nick had to know Harry. Nick made absolute sure of it. What a lovely green your shirt is, like Harry's eyes. Harry would love this sushi. Do you think maybe Harry can come? 

 

"Yes, Nicholas. I was there when he proposed to you." Louis clearly recalled a dress party too fancy for a physical therapist working at a children's hospital. He remembered his eyes widening every time one of Harry's Laker teammates or numerous celebrity friends would so much as breathe next to him. What he could never forget about that night was how Harry had called everyone's attention and bent down on one knee to ask for Nick's hand in marriage.

 

"Oh, of course! You were there for the Finals party," Nick exclaimed. "Anyway, poor Harold here has managed to injure himself in a preseason game."

 

"Fuck Nick, I'm so sorry for that. It must be so horrible for-" 

 

"Yes it's been stressing me out lately." Nick interrupted. "Especially since the league has been sending bimbo after bimbo to do his rehabilitation."

 

Ah. Louis could finally see the predicament here. 

 

"What's the matter, Grimmy? Afraid your tits aren't big enough for Harry anymore?" Louis cackled. He finally came up with enough energy to sit up on his bed and turn on the telly.

 

"Louis, darling, we all know it was never my tits that Harold thought was big enough."

 

Louis made a face. "And here I thought you couldn't possibly disgust me any further. Are you getting to the part where I'm involved in this or did you really just disturb my sleep to bitch about your husband's therapy?"

 

"Yes well, I sent all of them back to the league of course but they kept on insisting on female PTs because they had a different touch or summat. Honestly, it's all just a pile of heteronormative bullshit to me." Nick scoffed, sounding as if he was truly offended for the girls he just called bimbos a minute earlier. "So I decided to take matters into my own hands. Honestly,  I can't believe it took me this long to ring you." 

 

Louis immediately hit mute on Good Morning America. "Nick. You can't possibly be asking me to do your fiance's therapy."

 

"Come on Louis. You work with children after all. Harry's basically just an overgrown 5 year old." Nick snorted. 

 

"An overgrown child worth 90 million dollars the last time I checked! Nick, you know I haven't done sports therapy in ages." Louis was beginning to panic now. He didn't think Nick fully grasped his situation.

 

"And last time I checked, you were the one who moved us out to LA to work with a sports team in the first place!" Nick reminded him. 

 

Louis groaned. "It was to get away from a sports team, Nick. Not throw myself back into one."

 

"It's been ages, Lou," Nick sighed and for the first time in the entire conversation, he sounded as if he cared about what Louis thought. "It's a different country, a different sport. Maybe it's time to start over, yeah, mate?" 

 

Louis remained stubbornly quiet. 

 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that," Nick said after a while. He at least had the decency to sound as if he was ashamed of himself. 

 

"No I'll -" Louis sighed in exasperation. "I'll call you back, okay? I'm not saying no."

 

"I know love, just let me know when you are." 

 

Louis pressed the end button on his phone and tried not to dream of football fields and hazel eyes as he tried to bury himself into sleep. 

 


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey Nick. Uhm. So I thought about your offer and....... I'm taking it. I just need two weeks to set everything up with my job right now. But I can start right after that. So, Uhm,  yeah. Say Hi to Harry for me. Or not. I’ll -  I’ll talk to you soon._

_\----_

 

It was weird to come up to Nick's home without any pretense of a party. He had told Nick as much when he had answered his voicemail.

 

"Oh no, none of the fun stuff for you Tomlinson," Nick had teased. "Remember that you work for me now!"

 

Louis still can't believe how well Nick's life turned out to be when they made the move to America. He remembered how obsessed Nick had been with the promise of fame and recognition. In any lifetime, Louis was convinced that L.A. was the place Nick truly belonged. He was made for the glitz and glamour that it had to offer.

 

A burgeoning career and someone to come home to every night. That was all Louis ever wanted, he can't help but think to himself bitterly. Some people just have it easier than others.

 

He rings the doorbell before his thoughts spin even more out of control.

 

"Tomlinson! How spectacular to see you, darling," Nick gives him a peck on the cheek. "Come in! Harry's preparing lunch for us."

 

Louis enters their Calabasas mansion sheepishly, trying not to feel too shabby in his threadbare shirt and sweatpants. He really should have thought this through. Three thousand square foot houses like these were meant to have dress codes. He looks down at the smiley faces on his Vans and tries not to panic.

 

Nick doesn't seem to mind, at any rate, and gestures vaguely around the foyer for a brief tour. It looks even bigger without the party lights and a few dozen drunk people milling about. He leads them to the west entrance where Louis vaguely remembers the kitchen was supposed to be.

 

"Louis, hey!" Harry greets him with a wide smile once they enter. Meeting Harry is always an overwhelming experience. His attention is focused entirely on whoever he's speaking with. Louis vaguely remembers Alexa Chung comparing him to a lighthouse. She's not wrong.

 

And there's also the fact that he's drop dead gorgeous but that's neither here nor there.

 

Harry wobbles over to him, seeing as he's just standing there like a proper knob. Louis' eyes dart to the cast he's wearing and immediately closes the distance between them to stop him.

 

"Hey Harry," Louis says, with a firm grip on his elbow to keep him steady. If Harry is anything like his kids back at work, then he'd hate to be babied. The fact does remain that he's still going to need help in a lot of situations. Louis'd like to think that he's found the perfect balance of subtle baby-ing.

 

Harry's answering grin is pained now and Louis can see him shifting his weight between his two legs. But the smile turns radiant again. "I hope you're hungry! I made fajitas, just in case."

 

Nick sidles up to Harry's side, forcing Louis to take a step back. Harry immediately melts against his side. "They're honestly the best. You'll love them."

 

Louis rolls his eyes at them when they begin to coo at each other. "Yes okay lovebirds, I get it. Save some for the wedding okay? Speaking of, will that be happening any time soon?"

 

"Definitely." Harry immediately answers.

 

"Not in a while, no." Nick responds at the same time.

 

There's a tense silence that follows. Harry's looking at Nick with his eyebrows furrowed. Nick just gives him an amused grin. Louis wants to smack himself in the head.

 

"But I thought you said - "

 

"That was before you got hurt, darling."

 

"It's not supposed to change anything!"

 

"It does, Harry. It changes everything okay?" Nick's voice had risen and Louis could see how Harry flinched at the words. "Darling, your recovery is the most important thing right now, okay?"

 

Harry softens at that, but there's still some confusion left on his face like this isn't the last they were going to be talking about this.

 

"So uhm, fajitas?" Louis interrupts. "I'm actually quite hungry, you know. But I'm utter shit in the kitchen. Nick lived with me for a while, he'd know."

 

And that's how Louis successfully turns the awkward moment into Nick making fun of him for asking how to whisk once.

 

Small victories.

 

\---

Nick forces him to do the dishes with him. Harry, being the ultimate sweetheart, tried to take the plates away from them both but was forced to surrender when his phone had rung with a call from his coach.

 

"I'm really glad you're here, Lou." Nick tells him as they're doing the dishes. Harry had taken the call in the other room, out of earshot. "I've been feeling suffocated for weeks now."

 

Louis raises a brow at him. "Why is that?"

 

Nick lets out a long suffering sigh. "It's been doctor's appointments left and right. He hasn't been allowed to leave the house without the wheelchair, but he stubbornly refuses to use it. And I know you're beating yourself up over the wedding thing earlier but trust me, he's been bringing that up every chance he gets. It's just - my life feels stuck right now, you know? And he's trying to put on all this pressure on our relationship......"

 

Louis tries not to combust and remind Nick that it isn't his ACL that got torn. It isn't his career that's hanging on a precipice. But he keeps his mouth shut because he gets what Nick is trying to say.

 

"He just needs something constant, I guess. Everything else in his life is unsure right now. I think you're just going to have to assure him that you're not going anywhere."

 

Nick's lips purse, like he's tasted something bitter. "It's not that simple anymore."

 

Before Louis can pry any more out of Nick, Harry's back in the kitchen. Thankfully, he's agreed to be put on his wheelchair.

 

"You ready to go, Louis?"

 

"Oh we're not done with these yet," Louis says, gesturing to the pile of dirty kitchenware.

Nick waves him off. "You go on ahead, I'll take care of this."

 

"You're not coming with us?" This would be the first appointment after Harry had taken X-Ray's of his knee. They would find out exactly just how long it would take for him to recover. Louis thought this would be a moment Nick wouldn't want to miss.

 

Harry answers for him, already in his wheelchair. "He has that radio thing today. It's pretty important." Harry beams with pride. "The producers love him already."

 

"They're talking about giving me my own timeslot in the morning instead of just the segments I do with Scott," Nick explains as he dries off a mug. Louis, like the supportive fellow Brit that he is, has always made an effort to listen in to Scott’s show for Grimmy’s Innuendo Bingo. It was quite the hit, much to his pleasure. It truly was only a matter of time before he got picked up for his own show.

 

“So are you keeping Innuendo Bingo then? Or is that still Scott’s thing?” Louis asks.

 

“Of course he’s keeping it. That’s his brainchild,” Harry says proudly.

 

Nick shrugs. “Don’t know that yet, actually. But you lot really should get a move on. I told Doctor Calder you wouldn’t be late this time.”

 

Nick dries off his hands to give Harry a quick peck and roll him to the car.

 

“I’ll see you both later. And Lou?” He makes Louis swivel around from the driver seat to face him. “You’re the absolute best for doing this. I know you’ll take good care of him.”

 

“Don’t go all sappy on me now, Grimshaw. We’ll see you soon.”

 

\--

_Hey baby. Louis and I just finished the appointment and uhm – I’ll talk to you soon okay? I love you so much._

_\--_

A year.

 

Therapy would take a year.

 

Louis thinks of how much things can change in a year, for a normal person like him. He could get a new job in a year. He could get fired from the same job in that time period, too. He could have a baby, assuming the female species would ever be of interest to him. He could get a culinary certificate of some sorts, as well.

 

He thinks of how much could change for an _internationally famous_ basketball superstar in a year – missed games, contract technicalities, public opinion - and tries not to faint. To his credit, Harry seems to be taking the whole thing rather well. At least, he’s _trying_ to.

 

“If you’re anything like Nick’s said, I’m sure we’ll be a great team. You’ll get me ready to play again in no time,” Harry says warmly which. No pressure at all.

 

“No pressure right, mate?” Louis voices with a snort. “But honestly, Harry. A year is a long time, right? I’m not trying to freak you out or anything –“

 

Harry giggles beside him. “Yeah I know it is. But I’ve been on the road since I got drafted, you know? Five years of constant travelling and working – it’s good to have a break, I guess? And we can finally move up the wedding, so I’m excited for that.”

 

Louis nods. Harry’s calm, rational response to this entire situation has been very laudable. “Yeah, man that’s ace. It’s been a long time coming for you and Nick.”

 

He gives Louis a smile. “Don’t worry, you’ll be invited. Assuming that you’ll get my knee fixed by then of course."

 

Louis rolls his eyes. “Wanna bet, superstar?”

 

"We pay you well enough without you taking more of our money," he answers back. "So Nick told me about your gig at ManU. That must have been pretty exciting, I know how big you English are with soccer."

 

" _Football,"_ Louis groans almost automatically. Bloody Americans. Harry's full on laughing now and he realized he had fell for the bait. 

 

"Walked right into that one, didn't I" Louis shakes his head. "That's it's proper name, Harry. None of that soccer bullshit."

 

"I know, I know. Nick lectures me almost once a month. But come on, what was that like?" 

 

What it was like was something Louis desperately tries not to remember. Because while being the Physical Therapist for Manchester United certainly assured him a lifelong list of job opportunities, it also assured him a lifelong supply of excess baggage. Baggage that he would rather not share with this man he had barely even met. 

 

"What would you  _assume_ it would be like, Harold?" The nickname slips easily from his tongue, almost as easily as the smile that grows on Harry's face as he says it. 

 

"A lot of foot rubs, I'd imagine."

 

Louis guffaws. "That's the entirety of my job description, actually."

 

"I'm sure you're very good at rubbing, Louis." 

 

"You're the worst."

 

The conversation flows easily after that, with Harry making more and more ridiculous inquiries about his foot rubbing expertise. Nick wasn't wrong when he said his fiancee was an overgrown child. Finally, Louis drives up to their home. 

 

"Nick doesn't seem to be here yet." Louis remarks, eyeing the empty driveway. "You're cool on your own?"

 

"Yeah, I'll be fine. When do we start with therapy?"

 

"I'll email you the schedule, but we'll be able to start in a few days."

 

"Cool. I look forward to the ultimate Louis Foot Rubbing experience."

 

Harry looks way too proud for someone who just delivered a spectacularly awful line. But he's Harry Styles. He gets away with it. And  with that smile, Louis' sure he's going to get away with a lot more in the future.

 

"Good _bye,_ Harold."

 

 

 


End file.
